William k



(No Model.)

W. K. NICHOLS.

CASH REGISTER.

No. 493,557. Patented Mar. 14, 1893.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IVILLIAM K. NICHOLS, OF IVASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

CASH-REGISTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 493,557, dated March 14, 1893. Application filed October 3l, 1892. Serial No. 450,591- (No model.)

To LZZ wiz/0m it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM K. NICHOLS, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Washington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cash-Registers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention provides a means for throwing and holding tablets in View to indicate the amount of a registration and means for automatically releasing said tablets and returning them to their normal positions on making another registration.

Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings represents a horizontal View of this mechanism showing the case and tablet rods in section on line 1-1 of Fig. 2. Fig. 2 represents a section of said mechanism on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

A series of tablet rods lO carry the tablets 11 and when said rods are in their normal positions their lower ends rest on the inner ends of the key levers 12 and said tablets 11 are then hidden from view. Horizontal plates 13 and 14 through which said rods 10 play serve as guides for said rods. The inner ends of the key levers 12 rest while in their normal positions on the bar 15. The tablet rods 10 are provided on one side near their lower ends with cams 16 and a little above said cams on the other side of said rods are recesses or shoulders 17. When a key is depressed the inner end of its key lever is raised and the corresponding tablet rod is lifted. lVhen the cam 16 comes in contact with the plate 14 the lower end of said rod is shifted to one side in such Inanner that when said key lever is released the shoulder 17 on said rod engages with said plate 14 and said tablet rod is held in an elevated position exhibiting its tablet to view which indicates the denomination of the key operated.

Upon the plate 14 is a sliding plate 18. This plate 18 is provided with slots 19 and 2O through which pass the guide screws 21 and 22 and said plate is held in its normal position by the spring 23. Said plate 18 is also provided with the slots 2t through which pass the tablet rods 10. These slots 24 are of greater width than the tablet rods and when the plate 1S is in its normal position its slots 24 are so located as to allow the shoulders of the tablet rods to engage with the plate 14. A yoked lever 25 is pivoted in the case 26 and when in its normal position rests upon the key levers 12. A dog 27 is pivoted to the back of said case 2G. A bar 2S projects from the yokedlever25andextendsbackward. lVhen a key is operated its key lever is raised and with it the yoked lever 25. The end of the bar 2S of said lever 25 then comes in Contact with the tongue 29 of said dog 27 and causes the pin 30 on said dog to impinge against the spring 23 and causes said spring to move the plate 18 a suflicient distance to push the rods of a previous registration from engagement with the bar 14 allowing them to drop back to their original positions. As soon as the bar 2S has passed the tongue of the dog 27 said spring 23 returns said plate 1S to its normal position thereby allowing the rod just actuated to engage with said plate 1i. When the key lever operated is released the yoked lever 25 is returned to its normal position by means of the springs 3l and 32 and the bar 28 coming again in contact with the tongue of the dog 27 swings said dog downward without disturbing the plate 18 or the tablet rodsjust lifted. lVhen said bar 2S has passed said tongue said dog returns to its normal position by means of the weighted tail thereof.

If it is desirous to have two or more tablets in View to represent a registration the keys are either depressed at the same time or one is held down until the next is operated.

I do not intend to limit this invention to the special construction shown and I claim- 1. In a registering and indicating machine, the combination of a key, a tablet carried by a rod and operated by means of said key, a support for said rod, and a cam for shifting said rod into engagement with said support when said rod is operated.

2. In a registering and indicating machine, the combination of a key, a tablet carried by a rod and operated by means of said key, a support for said rod, and means for shifting said rod into engagement with said support when said rod is operated.

3. In a registering and indicating machine, the combination of a series of keys, a series of tablets carried by a series of rods and operated by means of said keys, a support for said rods, and cams for shifting said rods into engagement with said support when said rods are operated.

4. In a registering and indicating machine, the combination of a series of keys, a series of tablets carried by a series of rods and operated by means of said keys, a support for said rods, and means for shifting said rods into engagement with said support when said rods are operated.

5. In a registering and indicating machine, the combination of a series of keys, a seriesA of tablets carried by a series of rods and operated by means of said keys, a support for said rods, means for shifting said rods into engagement with said support when said rods are operated, and adjunotive mechanism whereby, when a registration is made, the

rods of a previous registration are shifted out of engagement with said support.

6. In a registering and indicating machine, the combination of a series of keys, a series of tablets carried by a series of rods and operated by means of said keys, a support for said rods, cams for shifting said rods into engagement with said support When said rods are operated, and adj unctive mechanism whereby, when a registration4 is made, the rods of a previous registration are shifted out of engagement with said support.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal this the 20th day of May,1892.

WILLIAM K. NICHOLS. [L. s] iVitnesses:

JNO. B. ROGERS, H. M. WILSON. 

